Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 12 January 2000

Scottish Executive

Aggregates Tax

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it estimates an aggregates tax of £2 per tonne will have in Scotland on (a) the economic viability of small and medium sized quarries (b) the number of people in Scotland employed directly in quarrying and quarry production and (c) on number of transport and other jobs indirectly supported by the quarrying industry.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment on the impact which closure of smaller quarries in rural Scotland would have in terms of the incidence of larger trucks travelling by road from central Scotland to remote locations.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the conclusions of the Quarry Products Association commissioned report The Case for no Aggregates Tax in Scotland , in particular as regards the cost to quarries of administering the tax, the impact on the environment, recycling, potential job losses, and potentially increased road maintenance costs for local authorities.

Sarah Boyack: No decision has been taken on whether to proceed with a tax on aggregates. The effect on the competitive position of small and medium sized quarries from such a tax is likely to be limited. Although the regulatory burden on smaller and medium sized quarries could be proportionately greater, this would be offset by the higher transport costs of replacing their output from more distant larger quarries. The economic viability of small and medium sized quarries is therefore unlikely to be adversely affected by any aggregates tax in the short to medium term.

  As demand for aggregates is typically unresponsive to changes in price, an aggregates tax is unlikely to have short-term adverse implications for jobs, either directly in the quarrying industry or in indirect employment supported by the industry. Most of the tax can be passed on to buyers of aggregates where it will represent a small proportion of overall costs. Research by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions indicates that while demand for aggregates may fall over time, leading to less employment in the industry as a whole, this will be offset by greater demand for recycled aggregates with attendant increases in employment in plant.

  The introduction of a possible aggregates tax would be a matter for the UK Government. Consequently the Scottish Executive has no plans to carry out any separate Environmental Impact Assessment or consultation exercise to determine the impact of such a tax. HM Customs and Excise have already consulted on draft legislation to implement the tax.

  The Scottish Executive is currently considering detailed proposals submitted by the Quarry Products Association. While the Executive is aware of the report prepared by the Association’s Scottish Branch, the UK Government are looking to the industry to produce a package for the country as a whole to reflect the fact that any aggregates tax would apply throughout the UK.

Children

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1601 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 4 October 1999, whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the actual amount per child per day which is designed to cover the cost of school meals for Scottish schoolchildren in the working families tax credit scheme.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I have no plans to make such representations.

Community Care

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote self-help groups in supporting dysphasic adults.

Iain Gray: Adults with dysphasia have access to health and community care services. The promotion and provision of support services, including self-help groups, for adults with dysphasia is a matter for health boards and local authorities to determine in the light of local needs.

Community Care

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have made direct payments available within the last financial year to disabled persons in order to purchase services.

Iain Gray: The latest information available indicates that the following local authorities make direct payments available to people with disabilities.

  


Authority

  



Aberdeenshire

  



Aberdeen City*

  



Angus*

  



Argyll and Bute

  



City of Edinburgh

  



East Lothian*

  



Fife

  



Highland*

  



Moray

  



North Lanarkshire*

  



Orkney*

  



Renfrewshire*

  



Scottish Borders*

  



Shetland

  



South Ayrshire

  



West Lothian

  



  * Pilot project

Education

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend legislation to allow local authorities to enable operators of school transport to run a pay service when there is no other public transport available.

Peter Peacock: Existing provisions in section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 already give authorities considerable discretion in relation to the provision of school transport and payment of travelling expenses, and we have no plans to amend these specifically to provide for the arrangement suggested.

Energy Efficiency

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what grant will be available in Scotland from 1 April 2000 under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme to (a) those eligible for maximum grant and (b) old age pensioners.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme does not apply in Scotland. It was replaced by the new Warm Deal on 1 July 1999. The rules governing the Warm Deal on 1 April 2000 will remain as they are at present. They provide that households wholly or mainly dependent on specified state benefits, including old age pensioners, are eligible for a grant of up to £500. Other old age pensioners are eligible for a grant of up to £78.75.

Environment

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it proposes to undertake consultation on the problems of leylandii and other high hedges.

Mr Jim Wallace: A consultation paper has been issued by my Department today. The paper invites the views of interested parties on the extent of problems experienced in Scotland from leylandii and other high hedges and on the adequacy of existing remedies. The consultation paper can be found on the Scottish Executive website. Views have been requested by 31 March 2000.

Europe

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the remits of all Executive staff employed within Scotland House in Brussels.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive EU Office has six members of staff - four are members of the Scottish Executive and two are locally engaged staff.

  The office has four main functions:

  • to provide support and advice to the Scottish Executive on EU matters;

  • to gather information in Brussels and relay it back to the experts in Brussels as soon as possible;

  • to assist in influencing EU decision making;

  • to raise Scotland’s profile in the EU.

  The remits of the staff are:

  • Head of Office

  • Policy Adviser 1 (and Deputy Head) whose policy areas include agriculture, fisheries and industry;

  • Policy Adviser 2, whose policy areas include regional policy, education, culture and health;

  • Policy Adviser 3, whose policy areas include environment, transport and justice and home affairs;

  • Office Manager;

  • PA/support.

Fisheries

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive with regard to European Union Structured Fund support for fishing communities, how much will be available to each Scottish region and who will decide the final amounts allocated to each region.

Mr John Home Robertson: No decisions have yet been taken on the allocation of structural funds for fishing communities across Scotland. Ministers will consider the distribution of funds as structural plans are developed. Final decisions will only be taken once these plans have been agreed.

Fisheries

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to allow scallop fishermen and scallop farmers to sell scallop without roe (i.e. white meat only) to approved processors.

Susan Deacon: The sale of the white meat of scallops is not generally prohibited unless it is from an area which has been closed to scallop fishing by a Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) Order due to the detection of algal toxin levels above the statutory limit. No part of a scallop can be harvested from such an area.

Food

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the labelling of meat products.

Ross Finnie: Meat products are defined in EC law and the labelling requirements are largely harmonised at EC level. These requirements are implemented in Scotland by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 .

  The Scottish Executive issued a consultation paper on 27 October seeking views from interested parties on a proposal to amend the Guidance Notes on the Regulations. The consultation aims to clarify and strengthen the guidance on labelling to allow the true origin of foodstuffs to be traceable. Responses to the consultation exercise, which ended on 14 December, are now being considered.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS trusts employ a chartered engineer or chartered surveyor as the person responsible for the management and maintenance of the estate and which trusts place this responsibility in the hands of an administrator.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.

  It is for individual NHS Trusts to determine and employ the appropriate staff to carry out the management and maintenance of the NHS estate.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to audit the figures submitted by NHS Trusts in Scotland to ensure that the estate and maintenance returns are accurate.

Susan Deacon: NHS Trusts submit information on Estates and Maintenance, including costs, as a small part of the annual data collection exercise to produce the Scottish Health Service Costs Book .

  The total costs submitted as part of this process have to be reconciled by the Trusts to their published annual accounts. Individual cost lines such as expenditure on estate maintenance, are subject to data quality checks which identify variances in costs from prior year submissions.

Health

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total estate and essential estate in each NHS trust in Scotland complies with health and safety legislation and how this compares with the figures in each of the financial years from 1993-94 to date.

Susan Deacon: The attached Table A1 provides the requested information at 31 March 1999 and using the configuration of NHS Trusts as effective at 1 April 1999. The equivalent information for earlier years, where available, is set out in Tables A2 (essential) and A3 (total) and uses the then existing NHS Trust configuration.

  NHS TRUSTS (post-April 1999 reconfiguration)

  A1. PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL AND ESSENTIAL BUILDING AREA FULLY COMPLIANT WITH SAFETY AND STATUTORY STANDARDS BEARING UPON THE ESTATE (AT 31 MARCH OF YEAR).

  


TRUST

  

1999

  


 

TOTAL

  

ESSENTIAL

  



Argyll and Clyde Acute Hospitals

  

NK

  

NK

  



Lomond and Argyll Primary Care

  

NK

  

NK

  



Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Primary 

  Care

  

85

  

98

  



Ayrshire and Arran Acute Hospitals

  

80

  

86

  



Ayrshire and Arran Primary Care 

  

  

83

  

84

  



Borders General Hospital

  

100

  

100

  



Borders Primary Care

  

99

  

99

  



Dumfries and Galloway Acute

  

80

  

90

  



Dumfries and Galloway Primary Care

  

99

  

99

  



Fife Acute Hospitals

  

72

  

NK

  



Fife Primary Care

  

50

  

67

  



Forth Valley Acute Hospitals

  

78

  

78

  



Forth Valley Primary Care

  

41

  

76

  



Grampian University Hospitals

  

85

  

85

  



Grampian Primary Care

  

46

  

50

  



North Glasgow University Hospitals

  

42

  

51

  



South Glasgow University Hospitals

  

75

  

75

  



Greater Glasgow Primary Care

  

73

  

97

  



The Yorkhill

  

94

  

94

  



Highland Acute Hospitals

  

80

  

80

  



Highland Primary Care

  

86

  

95

  



Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals

  

81

  

87

  



Lanarkshire Primary Care

  

73

  

85

  



Lothian University Hospitals

  

39

  

45

  



Lothian Primary Care

  

75

  

84

  



West Lothian Healthcare

  

95

  

93

  



Tayside University Hospitals

  

77

  

74

  



Tayside Primary Care

  

65

  

89

  



All Scotland

  

69

  

77

  



  Notes:

  1. Essential building area is that expected to be required for operational purposes beyond a five year planning horizon. (four years up to and including 1998).

  2. Non-compliance with safety and statutory standards bearing upon the estate will vary both in range and depth.

  3. NK. Not known, not provided.

  NHS TRUSTS (pre-April 1999 reconfiguration)

  A2. PERCENTAGE OF ESSENTIAL BUILDING AREA FULLY COMPLIANT WITH SAFETY AND STATUTORY STANDARDS BEARING UPON THE ESTATE (AT 31 MARCH OF YEAR).

  


TRUST

  

1998

  

1997

  

1996

  

1995

  

1994

  



Aberdeen Royal Hospitals

  

NA

  

81

  

45

  

44

  

29

  



Angus

  

NA

  

30

  

40

  

NK

  

100

  



Argyll and Bute

  

NA

  

80

  

75

  

89

  

84

  



Ayrshire & Arran Community 

  Healthcare

  

NA

  

98

  

98

  

98

  

98

  



Borders Community Health Services

  

NA

  

100

  

100

  

99

  

NK

  



Borders General Hospital

  

NA

  

100

  

100

  

95

  

NK

  



Caithness & Sutherland

  

NA

  

84

  

83

  

83

  

82

  



Central Scotland Healthcare

  

NA

  

9

  

80

  

75

  

NA

  



Dumfries & Galloway Acute & 

  Maternity Hospitals

  

NA

  

82

  

81

  

72

  

NK

  



Dumfries & Galloway Community 

  Health Services

  

NA

  

98

  

97

  

5

  

4

  



Dundee Healthcare

  

NA

  

87

  

84

  

74

  

38

  



Dundee Teaching

  

NA

  

NK

  

80

  

85

  

85

  



East and Midlothian

  

NA

  

41

  

35

  

29

  

28

  



Edinburgh Healthcare

  

NA

  

90

  

87

  

71

  

74

  



Edinburgh Sick Childrens

  

NA

  

84

  

84

  

70

  

89

  



Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary

  

NA

  

79

  

79

  

73

  

74

  



Fife Healthcare

  

NA

  

51

  

38

  

33

  

45

  



Glasgow Dental Hospital & School

  

NA

  

0

  

41

  

NK

  

NK

  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary University

  

NA

  

NK

  

NK

  

NK

  

56

  



Grampian Healthcare

  

NA

  

60

  

58

  

68

  

48

  



Greater Glasgow Community and Mental 

  Health

  

NA

  

84

  

34

  

30

  

32

  



Hairmyres & Stonehouse Hospitals

  

NA

  

96

  

96

  

94

  

89

  



Highland Communities

  

NA

  

97

  

77

  

44

  

49

  



Inverclyde Royal

  

NA

  

100

  

95

  

90

  

75

  



Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals

  

NA

  

88

  

69

  

48

  

47

  



Lanarkshire Healthcare

  

NA

  

86

  

79

  

79

  

55

  



Law Hospital

  

NA

  

*

  

65

  

64

  

64

  



Lomond Healthcare

  

NA

  

80

  

77

  

61

  

37

  



Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals

  

NA

  

100

  

45

  

40

  

40

  



Moray Health Services

  

NA

  

84

  

77

  

43

  

25

  



North Ayrshire & Arran

  

NA

  

63

  

63

  

56

  

27

  



Perth and Kinross

  

NA

  

91

  

92

  

89

  

76

  



Queen Margaret Hospital

  

NA

  

66

  

66

  

10

  

96

  



Raigmore Hospital

  

NA

  

90

  

92

  

83

  

80

  



Renfrewshire Healthcare

  

NA

  

98

  

98

  

98

  

96

  



Royal Alexandra Hospital

  

NA

  

NK

  

99

  

94

  

93

  



Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

  

NA

  

75

  

53

  

53

  

50

  



Scottish Ambulance Service

  

NA

  

100

  

64

  

27

  

NK

  



South Ayrshire Hospitals

  

NA

  

98

  

97

  

95

  

81

  



Southern General Hospital

  

NA

  

66

  

56

  

48

  

62

  



Stirling Royal Infirmary

  

NA

  

71

  

71

  

43

  

34

  



Stobhill

  

NA

  

31

  

64

  

59

  

55

  



Victoria Infirmary

  

NA

  

56

  

NK

  

NK

  

NK

  



West Lothian

  

NA

  

88

  

91

  

52

  

52

  



Western General Hospitals

  

NA

  

14

  

11

  

8

  

8

  



West Glasgow Hospitals University

  

NA

  

3

  

63

  

28

  

28

  



The Yorkhill

  

NA

  

77

  

3

  

93

  

93

  



All Scotland

  

NA

  

71

  

67

  

53

  

53

  



  Notes:

  1. Essential building area is that expected to be required for operational purposes beyond a four year planning horizon (five years from 1999).

  2. Non-compliance with safety and statutory standards bearing upon the estate will vary both in range and depth.

  3. NA. Not available, not held centrally.

  4. NK. Not known, not provided.

  5. * No essential estate.

  NHS TRUSTS (pre-April 1999 reconfiguration)

  A3 PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL BUILDING AREA FULLY COMPLIANT WITH SAFETY AND STATUTORY STANDARDS BEARING UPON THE ESTATE (AT 31 MARCH OF YEAR).

  


TRUST

  

1998

  

1997

  

1996

  

1995

  

1994

  



Aberdeen Royal Hospitals

  

NA

  

NA

  

45

  

44

  

29

  



Angus

  

NA

  

NA

  

30

  

NK

  

100

  



Argyll and Bute

  

NA

  

NA

  

70

  

83

  

68

  



Ayrshire & Arran Community 

  Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

81

  

81

  

81

  



Borders Community Health Services

  

NA

  

NA

  

100

  

99

  

NK

  



Borders General Hospital

  

NA

  

NA

  

100

  

95

  

NK

  



Caithness & Sutherland

  

NA

  

NA

  

83

  

83

  

82

  



Central Scotland Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

38

  

34

  

NK

  



Dumfries & Galloway Acute & 

  Maternity Hospitals

  

NA

  

NA

  

79

  

72

  

NK

  



Dumfries & Galloway Community 

  Health Services

  

NA

  

NA

  

88

  

4

  

NK

  



Dundee Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

84

  

58

  

35

  



Dundee Teaching

  

NA

  

NA

  

81

  

85

  

85

  



East and Midlothian

  

NA

  

NA

  

35

  

25

  

25

  



Edinburgh Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

86

  

51

  

51

  



Edinburgh Sick Childrens

  

NA

  

NA

  

84

  

30

  

100

  



Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary

  

NA

  

NA

  

79

  

73

  

74

  



Fife Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

35

  

31

  

38

  



Glasgow Dental Hospital & School

  

NA

  

NA

  

41

  

0

  

0

  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary University

  

NA

  

NA

  

NK

  

NK

  

55

  



Grampian Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

53

  

53

  

45

  



Greater Glasgow Community and Mental 

  Health

  

NA

  

NA

  

18

  

15

  

15

  



Hairmyres & Stonehouse Hospitals

  

NA

  

NA

  

96

  

94

  

89

  



Highland Communities

  

NA

  

NA

  

28

  

27

  

31

  



Inverclyde Royal

  

NA

  

NA

  

95

  

82

  

69

  



Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals

  

NA

  

NA

  

69

  

47

  

46

  



Lanarkshire Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

75

  

54

  

35

  



Law Hospital

  

NA

  

NA

  

65

  

64

  

64

  



Lomond Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

76

  

60

  

35

  



Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals

  

NA

  

NA

  

44

  

39

  

39

  



Moray Health Services

  

NA

  

NA

  

77

  

43

  

25

  



North Ayrshire & Arran

  

NA

  

NA

  

63

  

56

  

27

  



Perth and Kinross

  

NA

  

NA

  

89

  

88

  

76

  



Queen Margaret Hospital

  

NA

  

NA

  

68

  

NK

  

96

  



Raigmore Hospital

  

NA

  

NA

  

92

  

83

  

80

  



Renfrewshire Healthcare

  

NA

  

NA

  

88

  

88

  

90

  



Royal Alexandra Hospital

  

NA

  

NA

  

99

  

94

  

93

  



Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

  

NA

  

NA

  

59

  

53

  

50

  



Scottish Ambulance Service

  

NA

  

NA

  

67

  

34

  

NK

  



South Ayrshire Hospitals

  

NA

  

NA

  

85

  

84

  

81

  



Southern General Hospital

  

NA

  

NA

  

55

  

47

  

62

  



Stirling Royal Infirmary

  

NA

  

NA

  

71

  

43

  

34

  



Stobhill

  

NA

  

NA

  

54

  

51

  

37

  



Victoria Infirmary

  

NA

  

NA

  

NK

  

NK

  

NK

  



West Lothian

  

NA

  

NA

  

89

  

52

  

52

  



Western General Hospitals

  

NA

  

NA

  

9

  

8

  

8

  



West Glasgow Hospitals University

  

NA

  

NA

  

60

  

27

  

27

  



The Yorkhill

  

NA

  

NA

  

3

  

93

  

93

  



  Notes:

  1. Non-compliance with safety and statutory standards bearing upon the estate will vary both in range and depth.

  2. NA. Not available, not held centrally.

  3. NK. Not known, not provided.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the eight new hospitals as referred to in Making it Work Together – A Programme for Government and their starting and projected completion dates.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is as follows:

  

 

STARTING DATE OF 

  PROJECT

  

PLANNED COMPLETION 

  DATE

  



New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

  

August 1998

  
 
Phase 1 – 

  Maternity and Gynaecology; Autumn 2001
Phase 2 – Remaining Services; 

  December 2002

  



Wishaw General Hospital

  

June 1998

  

February 2001

  



New Hairmyres Hospital

  

April 1998

  

September 2000

  



East Ayrshire Community Hospital

  

April 1999

  

November 2000

  



Glasgow Royal Infirmary

  

November 1998

  
 
Phase 1 

  – Maternity; December 2000
Phase 2 – Emergency Receiving, 

  Plastic Surgery and Burns; July 2001

  



Western General Hospital, Edinburgh

  

August 1998

  

March 2001

  



Southern Isles Community Hospital

  

July 1999

  

December 2000

  



Aberdeen Children’s Hospital

  

October 2000 (Planned)

  

April 2003

Health

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to facilitate earlier diagnosis of asthma within Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The Primary Care Management of Asthma guideline, published in December 1998, and the Emergency Management of Acute Asthma guideline, published in June 1999, both stress the importance of early detection, treatment and management of asthma. These clinical guidelines are widely used by General Practitioners and Consultants in developing the quality of clinical services.

  Health boards’ Health Promotion Departments are addressing asthma, and they and other agencies are undertaking dissemination of general information, as well as information specifically aimed at parents with young children. In addition, a comprehensive surveillance system for children in Scotland is in operation. This is undertaken by General Practitioners, augmented in some areas by community paediatric services.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to ensure that health board funding is maintained in line with inflation in the health sector.

Susan Deacon: We are committed to substantially increase NHS spending in Scotland in real terms over the coming years as demonstrated by the additional investment of £1.8 billion made over this and the next two years. This is an average annual real terms increase of 3.7% over the three year period using the GDP Deflator as the measure of inflation.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people over 65 died in hospital in each of the last three years, broken down by health board area and by cause of death, and what the average length of stay in hospital before death was.

Susan Deacon: The latest available information on the number of patients aged 65 and over who died in NHS in Scotland hospitals in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, and the mean length of stay in hospital before death, by health board area of residence, is set out in Tables 1-3. This data was compiled from hospital inpatient and day case returns.

  Table 4 provides information on the number, and causes, of deaths registered in Scotland where the place of death was recorded at a hospital, by health board area, for 1996, 1997 and 1998. This data was compiled by the General Register Office for Scotland.

  Table 1

  NHS IN SCOTLAND: PATIENTS AGED 65 AND OVER WHO DIED IN NHS HOSPITALS, BY HEALTH BOARD OF RESIDENCE

  General Acute1

  


 


1996-97

  

1997-98

  

1998-99 P




Argyll & Clyde

  

1,895

  

14.7

  

1,998

  

19.4

  

2,057

  

21.0

  



Ayrshire & Arran

  

1,771

  

13.5

  

1,728

  

13.4

  

1,823

  

15.6

  



Borders

  

632

  

14.8

  

602

  

14.6

  

625

  

13.4

  



Dumfries & Galloway

  

635

  

10.5

  

597

  

10.4

  

685

  

10.0

  



Fife

  

1,590

  

14.1

  

1,636

  

14.0

  

1,793

  

13.6

  



Forth Valley

  

1,131

  

11.6

  

1,036

  

11.1

  

1,099

  

12.7

  



Grampian

  

2,023

  

18.1

  

1,998

  

16.0

  

2,121

  

17.9

  



Greater Glasgow

  

4,474

  

15.0

  

4,180

  

15.4

  

4,367

  

14.3

  



Highland

  

817

  

15.8

  

871

  

16.7

  

842

  

17.7

  



Lanarkshire

  

2,175

  

15.0

  

2,322

  

14.8

  

2,268

  

15.6

  



Lothian

  

3,410

  

15.8

  

3,384

  

16.6

  

3,454

  

16.5

  



Orkney

  

136

  

122.8

  

118

  

128.4

  

94

  

13.1

  



Shetland

  

90

  

16.8

  

70

  

12.7

  

77

  

10.7

  



Tayside

  

2,093

  

14.4

  

2,124

  

14.9

  

2,199

  

14.8

  



Western Isles

  

157

  

19.4

  

152

  

24.8

  

106

  

22.4

  



Other3


79

  

8.2

  

92

  

7.7

  

94

  

7.4

  



Total (All Areas)

  

23,108

  

15.5

  

22,908

  

15.9

  

23,704

  

15.6

  



  Source: ISD, Scotland (SMR01).

  P Provisional

  Notes:

  1. Discharges from non-obstetric, non-psychiatric NHS hospitals. Excludes discharges from the "Long Stay Unit for Care of the Elderly" facility in specialty Geriatric Medicine.

  2. Based on inpatient records only.

  3. Includes: not known, patients resident outwith Scotland or those with no fixed abode.

  Table 2

  NHS IN SCOTLAND: PATIENTS AGED 65 AND OVER WHO DIED IN NHS HOSPITALS, BY HEALTH BOARD OF RESIDENCE

  Mental Health and Learning Disabilities

  


 


1996-97

  

1997-98

  

1998-99P




Health Board

  

Number of Deaths

  

Mean Stay (days)

  

Number of Deaths

  

Mean Stay (days)

  

Number of Deaths

  

Mean Stay (days)

  



Argyll & Clyde

  

157

  

1,686

  

145

  

1,554

  

129

  

1,055

  



Ayrshire & Arran

  

86

  

1,845

  

88

  

1,432

  

82

  

2,115

  



Borders

  

45

  

1,471

  

37

  

477

  

47

  

419

  



Dumfries & Galloway

  

20

  

4,608

  

37

  

1,555

  

30

  

3,411

  



Fife

  

119

  

1,504

  

87

  

2,216

  

75

  

1,527

  



Forth Valley

  

61

  

2,856

  

70

  

2,854

  

68

  

1,334

  



Grampian

  

161

  

1,515

  

79

  

856

  

92

  

636

  



Greater Glasgow

  

255

  

2,215

  

232

  

1,650

  

149

  

2,276

  



Highland

  

25

  

490

  

35

  

814

  

46

  

1,040

  



Lanarkshire

  

70

  

1,024

  

39

  

1,554

  

21

  

282

  



Lothian

  

240

  

1,348

  

176

  

1,050

  

76

  

1,751

  



Orkney

  

1

  

x

  

1

  

x

  

2

  

x

  



Tayside

  

155

  

1,113

  

116

  

1,474

  

147

  

1,434

  



Western Isles

  

9

  

321

  

-

  

-

  

-

  

-

  



Other1


22

  

8,812

  

15

  

7,191

  

15

  

5,875

  



Total (All Areas)

  

1,426

  

1,776

  

1,157

  

1,594

  

979

  

1,553

  



  Source: ISD, Scotland (SMR04)

  P Provisional.

  x Information on mean stay is not shown where fewer than five patients died in year.

  Notes:

  1. Includes: not known, patients resident outwith Scotland or those with no fixed abode.

  Table 3

  NHS IN SCOTLAND: PATIENTS AGED 65 AND OVER WHO DIED IN NHS HOSPITALS, BY HEALTH BOARD OF RESIDENCE

  Geriatric Long-Stay

  


 


1996-97E


1997-98

  

1998-99P




Health Board

  

Number of Deaths

  

Mean Stay (days)

  

Number of Deaths

  

Mean Stay (days)

  

Number of Deaths

  

Mean Stay (days)

  



Argyll & Clyde

  

303

  

419

  

268

  

524

  

302

  

522

  



Ayrshire & Arran

  

190

  

391

  

184

  

356

  

208

  

326

  



Borders

  

64

  

422

  

36

  

249

  

36

  

500

  



Dumfries & Galloway

  

132

  

246

  

103

  

90

  

94

  

172

  



Fife

  

206

  

344

  

166

  

264

  

210

  

357

  



Forth Valley

  

282

  

446

  

269

  

239

  

250

  

426

  



Grampian

  

310

  

641

  

266

  

575

  

249

  

513

  



Greater Glasgow

  

467

  

465

  

243

  

416

  

229

  

513

  



Highland

  

62

  

296

  

60

  

555

  

64

  

362

  



Lanarkshire

  

393

  

327

  

251

  

315

  

98

  

326

  



Lothian

  

270

  

465

  

246

  

358

  

220

  

442

  



Orkney

  

-

  

-

  

1

  

x

  

16

  

876

  



Shetland 

  

34

  

713

  

29

  

690

  

23

  

528

  



Tayside

  

308

  

405

  

241

  

474

  

206

  

396

  



Western Isles

  

11

  

549

  

6

  

181

  

2

  

x

  



Other1


4

  

x

  

3

  

x

  

6

  

73

  



Total (All Areas)

  

3,036

  

429

  

2,372

  

400

  

2,213

  

429

  



  Source: ISD, Scotland (SMR50).

  E Estimated figures: the SMR50 data are incomplete for this time period.

  p Provisional

  x Information on mean stay is not shown where fewer than five patients died in year.

  Notes:

  1. Includes: not known, patients resident outwith Scotland or those with no fixed abode.

  Table 4

  PATIENTS AGED 65 AND OVER WHO DIED IN HOSPITAL, BY CAUSE, AND BY HEALTH BOARD AREA

  


HEALTH BOARD AREA

  

ALL CAUSES OF DEATH

  

MALIGNANT NEOPLASMS
(ICD9 140-208)

  

ISCHAEMIC HEART 

  DISEASE
(ICD9 410-414)

  

CEREBRO-VASCULAR 

  DISEASE
(ICD9 430-438)

  

RESPIRATORY DISEASES
(ICD9 460-519)

  

OTHER CAUSES

  



1996

  

 


 


 


 


 


 




Argyll and Clyde

  

 2,521 

  

 506 

  

 546 

  

 385 

  

 384 

  

 700 

  



Ayrshire and Arran

  

 2,008 

  

 431 

  

 486 

  

 273 

  

 296 

  

 522 

  



Borders

  

 758 

  

 190 

  

 129 

  

 93 

  

 96 

  

 250 

  



Dumfries and Galloway

  

 918 

  

 230 

  

 185 

  

 152 

  

 120 

  

 231 

  



Fife

  

 2,093 

  

 521 

  

 423 

  

 310 

  

 310 

  

 529 

  



Forth Valley

  

 1,550 

  

 318 

  

 323 

  

 268 

  

 263 

  

 378 

  



Grampian

  

 2,568 

  

 685 

  

 519 

  

 410 

  

 300 

  

 654 

  



Greater Glasgow

  

 5,382 

  

 1,102 

  

 1,265 

  

 716 

  

 897 

  

 1,402 

  



Highland

  

 993 

  

 200 

  

 223 

  

 155 

  

 140 

  

 275 

  



Lanarkshire

  

 2,851 

  

 614 

  

 711 

  

 388 

  

 464 

  

 674 

  



Lothian

  

 3,909 

  

 695 

  

 808 

  

 563 

  

 698 

  

 1,145 

  



Orkney

  

 124 

  

 21 

  

 28 

  

 29 

  

 14 

  

 32 

  



Shetland

  

 125 

  

 24 

  

 16 

  

 21 

  

 30 

  

 34 

  



Tayside

  

 2,713 

  

 675 

  

 533 

  

 357 

  

 414 

  

 734 

  



Western Isles

  

 199 

  

 34 

  

 46 

  

 28 

  

 40 

  

 51 

  



 


 


 


 


 


 


 




Scotland

  

 28,712 

  

 6,246 

  

 6,241 

  

 4,148 

  

 4,466 

  

 7,611 

  



 


 


 


 


 


 


 




1997

  

 


 


 


 


 


 




Argyll and Clyde

  

 2,532 

  

 536 

  

 544 

  

 382 

  

 385 

  

 685 

  



Ayrshire and Arran

  

 2,178 

  

 441 

  

 495 

  

 312 

  

 358 

  

 572 

  



Borders

  

 763 

  

 199 

  

 142 

  

 105 

  

 98 

  

 219 

  



Dumfries and Galloway

  

 850 

  

 222 

  

 166 

  

 127 

  

 120 

  

 215 

  



Fife

  

 1,999 

  

 491 

  

 404 

  

 347 

  

 298 

  

 459 

  



Forth Valley

  

 1,490 

  

 286 

  

 303 

  

 220 

  

 276 

  

 405 

  



Grampian

  

 2,532 

  

 662 

  

 496 

  

 375 

  

 342 

  

 657 

  



Greater Glasgow

  

 5,215 

  

 1,099 

  

 1,147 

  

 659 

  

 960 

  

 1,350 

  



Highland

  

 1,014 

  

 204 

  

 209 

  

 177 

  

 125 

  

 299 

  



Lanarkshire

  

 2,954 

  

 638 

  

 720 

  

 383 

  

 468 

  

 745 

  



Lothian

  

 3,771 

  

 686 

  

 813 

  

 561 

  

 612 

  

 1,099 

  



Orkney

  

 130 

  

 39 

  

 16 

  

 24 

  

 13 

  

 38 

  



Shetland

  

 113 

  

 19 

  

 24 

  

 13 

  

 15 

  

 42 

  



Tayside

  

 2,649 

  

 691 

  

 497 

  

 336 

  

 443 

  

 682 

  



Western Isles

  

 183 

  

 36 

  

 48 

  

 30 

  

 25 

  

 44 

  



 


 


 


 


 


 


 




Scotland

  

 28,373 

  

 6,249 

  

 6,024 

  

 4,051 

  

 4,538 

  

 7,511 

  



 


 


 


 


 


 


 




1998

  

 


 


 


 


 


 




Argyll and Clyde

  

 2,563 

  

 556 

  

 443 

  

 387 

  

 419 

  

 758 

  



Ayrshire and Arran

  

 2,072 

  

 442 

  

 413 

  

 305 

  

 351 

  

 561 

  



Borders

  

 723 

  

 182 

  

 110 

  

 101 

  

 115 

  

 215 

  



Dumfries and Galloway

  

 861 

  

 231 

  

 172 

  

 118 

  

 111 

  

 229 

  



Fife

  

 2,074 

  

 519 

  

 423 

  

 292 

  

 309 

  

 531 

  



Forth Valley

  

 1,499 

  

 321 

  

 281 

  

 247 

  

 244 

  

 406 

  



Grampian

  

 2,488 

  

 642 

  

 523 

  

 346 

  

 356 

  

 621 

  



Greater Glasgow

  

 5,038 

  

989 

  

 1,074 

  

 715 

  

 910 

  

 1,350 

  



Highland

  

 971 

  

228 

  

 202 

  

 134 

  

 133 

  

 274 

  



Lanarkshire

  

 2,781 

  

519 

  

 671 

  

 371 

  

 475 

  

 745 

  



Lothian

  

 3,732 

  

710 

  

 792 

  

 499 

  

 622 

  

 1,109 

  



Orkney

  

 126 

  

29 

  

 28 

  

 18 

  

 16 

  

 35 

  



Shetland

  

 108 

  

16 

  

 20 

  

 7 

  

 22 

  

 43 

  



Tayside

  

 2,611 

  

650 

  

 458 

  

 341 

  

 446 

  

 716 

  



Western Isles

  

 203 

  

29 

  

 37 

  

 26 

  

 31 

  

 80 

  



Scotland

  

 27,850 

  

6,063 

  

 5,647 

  

 3,907 

  

 4,560 

  

 7,673 

  



  Source: General Register Office for Scotland.

Highlands and Islands

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1915 by Henry McLeish on 25 October 1999, whether it will publish the monitoring information provided on a quarterly basis by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the numbers of clients requiring special training needs provision.

Henry McLeish: Publication of information collected by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise is a matter for these bodies and enquiries about such information should be directed to them.

  I will inform the organisations of your interest and ask them to write to you.

Housing

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection is available for homeowners whose properties develop structural problems subsequent to purchase due to the use of defective building materials; and whether it has any plans to alter current liability.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Homeowners have the usual legal remedies, both statutory and under the common law of contract and delict - for instance, conditions in the missives of sale will continue to apply after the purchase.

  Protection is available to the purchasers of new homes through the National House-Building Council (NHBC) Buildmark Warranty Scheme, a ten year warranty and insurance policy that aims to ensure new homes are built to acceptable standards and that structural defects are rectified.

  Additionally, all new homes have to comply with building regulations to ensure that they are designed and constructed to a standard that protects the health and ensures the safety of the occupants. It is the responsibility of all local authorities to ensure that house builders adhere to the Technical Standards for compliance with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations.

  For the longer term, the Scottish Executive is maintaining close links with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) over the introduction of measures to combat cowboy builders, following the final report of the Cowboy Builders Working Group, chaired by Tony Merricks. The report has called for the establishment of a nation-wide register of "quality marked" builders, backed up by a mandatory warranty covering all work.

Housing

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the funding through Scottish Homes in the next three financial years for the building of 18,000 new homes and where these new homes will be built.

Ms Wendy Alexander: As set out in last year’s Programme for Government , the Executive is committed to ensuring that in its first three years 18,000 new and improved homes are built for affordable renting or low cost home ownership. Good progress has been made towards meeting this commitment with Scottish Homes currently planning to give approvals for 6,637 new and improved homes in the current year (1999-2000). The following table shows these approvals split by Scottish Homes’ five regions:-

 Highlands and Islands   284 North and East   1,378 Lothian, Borders and Forth Valley   1,284 South and West   1,395 Glasgow and North Clyde   2,296   

  


Highlands and Islands

  

284

  



North 

  
 


 
 


 
 



  I am currently discussing with Scottish Homes how it plans to deliver the remaining new and improved homes needed to meet the Programme for Government target. It is too early to say where these will be built until the outcome of Scottish Homes’ assessment of needs analysis and ongoing discussions with other interested parties, including local authorities, is completed.

  In the current year Scottish Homes grant in aid is £282.3 million. Subject to parliamentary consideration of the Budget Bill, I expect that its grant in aid allocation for 2000-01 and 2001-02 will be £272.8 million and £264.4 million respectively.

Inter-Parliamentary Relations

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish joint working arrangements with the other parliaments and assemblies within the British Isles.

Mr Jack McConnell: The British-Irish Council (BIC) met formally for the first time on 17 December. It was established under Strand 3 of the Belfast Agreement. Membership of the Council comprises representatives of the British and Irish Governments and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and representatives of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. On this occasion the First Minister and Deputy First Minister represented the Scottish Executive.

  Strand 3 also envisages the creation of links between legislatures, perhaps building on the existing British-Irish Inter-parliamentary Body. The First Minister made particular reference to this provision in his opening statement to the Council, where he emphasised the importance of such links. While they are primarily matters for the legislatures themselves to consider, he looks forward to seeing them develop in the New Year.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reform charity law in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive announced on 3 November that an independent commission would be established to review and reform charity law in Scotland. Ministers are currently considering the chair, membership, remit and timetable of the commission and a further announcement will be made to the Parliament in due course.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will begin the consultation process on the question of judicial appointments in Scotland.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the Member to the answer I gave her to question S1W-3254.

Land Reform

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the number and percentage of vassals who would be due to make a compensatory payment under the proposed Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Bill of (i) less than £100, (ii) between £100 and £200, (iii) between £200 and £500, (iv) between £500 and £1000, and (v) more than £1,000.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate has been made of the levels of unclaimed feuduty which will be eligible for recovery under the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Bill by total value and by number of arrears.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate has been made of the number of feudal superiors in Scotland who will be eligible to claim compensation under the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Bill.

Mr Jim Wallace: The detailed information requested is not available and could not be obtained without extensive research into actual title deeds. However, the Scottish Law Commission has estimated that less than 10% of properties still remain subject to feuduty and that the sums involved are mainly small.

Land Reform

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate has been made of the value of compensation which may be payable to (i) the Scottish Executive, (ii) other government departments, (iii) local authorities, (iv) agencies in their position as superiors, as a result of the proposed compensatory arrangements in the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Bill.

Mr Jim Wallace: No estimate has been made. Compensation for lost feuduty or development value will only be payable if a superior claims it. It will be for each of the authorities listed to take decisions on whether to claim in the light of the provisions of the Bill.

Land Reform

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an indication of the tax status of any income received by superiors under the compensation proposals, and of any payments made by vassals, in the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc (Scotland) Bill and what representations if any have been made to Her Majesty’s Government on this point.

Mr Jim Wallace: No representations have been made to the Scottish Executive about the tax status of any income received by superiors under the compensation proposals contained in the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Bill. The scheme for compensation in respect of the extinction of all remaining feu duties replicates provisions for compensation for the redemption of feu duty under the Land Tenure Reform (Scotland) Act 1974. Payment of arrears of feu duty will be treated as income of the superior, while the compensation payment itself will be treated as a capital receipt. It is envisaged that any compensation payable in respect of a breach of a development value real burden where the superior has registered a notice reserving the right to claim such compensation will also be treated as a capital receipt.

Local Government Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value is of any compensatory savings required by local authorities to achieve the Executive’s guideline for the year 2000-01 of absorbing a 3% pay award for local authority employees and what the separate figure is for teachers’ pay.

Mr Jack McConnell: Every 1% increase in the local authority pay bill will cost local authorities an estimated £30 million. A 1% increase in the teachers’ pay bill will cost local authorities an estimated £13 million. Our present spending plans provide for local authority spending to rise by 3.6% in 2000-01 over the comparable figure for this year.

National Lottery

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made or intends to make representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding the systems used to measure and monitor the proportion of money distributed via the National Lottery which is allocated to Scottish projects.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive maintains close contact with the Department for Media, Culture and Sport on a routine basis as part of its procedures for monitoring National lottery funds allocated to Scottish projects. The shares of Lottery proceeds distributed by sports cotland and the Scottish Arts Council are determined by statute and related to population. Scotland’s share of other distributors’ funds is not pre-determined but has generally exceeded the population share.

Police

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the average length of time taken in each police force area to deal with drug analysis by forensic laboratories in drug cases.

Mr Jim Wallace: The provision of forensic laboratories services is the responsibility of individual police forces. I understand that the forces hold this information in a variety of different ways, which are not directly comparable. However, all forces consider that they have the capacity to arrange almost immediate analysis in urgent cases.

Public Appointments

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive where it advertises appointments to public bodies and what the criteria are for deciding where to advertise.

Mr Jack McConnell: Advertisements for vacancies to public bodies are placed in various publications depending on the nature of the body and the type of vacancy. In all cases establishing value for money for the taxpayer is a key criterion.

  For general appointments, advertisements are placed in most of the main Scottish newspapers. For specialist and scientific appointments, advertisements are placed in scientific and academic journals and specialist magazines.

  The Executive will be consulting in the New Year on possible options for change to the current public appointment procedures. This will include looking at ways to broaden the pool of candidates through advertising and other means.

Public Appointments

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public appointments made by Her Majesty’s Government it is consulted about and what is the procedure for agreeing such appointments.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Executive is consulted on all appointments to the sixty-five cross border   public authorities. Details of each authority are provided in SI 1999 No.1319.

  The procedure for agreeing appointments varies from appointment to appointment. In all cases approval is sought from the relevant Scottish Minister before appointments are made. Variations arise in the procedures for making appointments adopted by the sponsor department. This means that in some instances Executive officials will play an active role in the selection and assessment process, including sitting on candidate interview panels. In others, detailed discussions and consultation will take place through correspondence.

Public Appointments

Mr Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when appointments will be made to the Food Standards Agency.

Susan Deacon: I can announce to Parliament that the following appointments by Scottish Ministers have been announced today:

  Sir John Arbuthnott Board Member and Chairman of the Scottish Food Advisory Committee

  Mr Michael Gibson FSA Board Member

  Dr George Paterson FSA Scottish director

  Jointly with UK Ministers and the other devolved administrations, the following appointments have also been announced today:

  Sir John Krebs Chairman of the FSA

  Mrs Suzi Leather Deputy Chairman of the FSA

  Mr Geoffrey Podger Chief Executive of the FSA

Public Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any evidence of increased travel prices during school holiday periods and if so, whether it will invite the Office of Fair Trade to investigate and report.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not hold comprehensive or systematic information about prices charged by transport or tour operators for trips by public transport or package holidays.

Rural Affairs

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take in the light of the recent Policy and Financial Management Review of the Crofters Commission.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is strongly committed to supporting crofting, and to modernising crofting legislation and administration. The Crofters Commission will play a key role in this.

  The recent review of the Crofters Commission has concluded that the functions of the Crofters Commission - namely, regulatory, advisory and development functions - all still require to be undertaken. The review has also concluded that there is no scope to abolish, privatise, contract out or market test all or any of the Crofters Commission’s functions. The review has made two separate (but combinable) recommendations for change to the Crofters Commission:

  Transferring the Commission’s development functions to Highlands and Islands Enterprise;

  Converting the Commission either into an Agency or into a modern NDPB.

  I have decided that I want to consult widely on these recommendations before reaching final decisions on how best to move forward. A consultation paper is therefore issuing today to all interested parties (including MSPs), and copies of that consultation paper, plus the full report, are being placed in the Executive and Parliament Libraries.

Social Exclusion

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on its response to the recent report  Edinburgh and Glasgow: Competitiveness and Cohesion.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The information contained in this report confirms the scale of the work that needs to be done in tackling poverty and social exclusion in Glasgow. In recent years, Glasgow has made tremendous strides – population decline has been halted, there is net job growth in the city and Glasgow has been voted third most desirable business location in Europe. The challenge is to ensure that all of Glasgow’s citizens benefit from its economic development. There are no quick fixes to the cycle of disadvantage that includes unemployment, low skills and poverty, but through its participation in the Glasgow Alliance and its support for the city’s Social Inclusion Partnerships, the Executive is committed to a long term programme of concerted action. This includes action to promote economic development, to tackle low educational achievement, to expand childcare, to address homelessness, drug misuse and poor health and a radical solution to Glasgow’s acute housing problems. By joining up and delivering on these policies, we aim to create a framework within which all Glaswegians have a decent quality of life and the opportunity to prosper.

Social Inclusion

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of Health Inequalities and Policy in Britain which indicates that Glasgow contains six of the most deprived constituencies in Britain, it will grant immediate emergency aid to Glasgow.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive recognises the serious health inequalities which exist in Scotland and the particular problems faced by Glasgow. Overall this year the Executive has made available in excess of £1.8 billion for the city, including £850 million for Greater Glasgow Health Board   alone. In his statement on 8 December 1999, Mr Jack McConnell, Minister for Finance, announced that Glasgow City Council would receive a special deprivation payment of nearly £3 million as part of the local government settlement for 2000-01. This amount will be taken into account in considering the council’s budgeted expenditure against guideline. He also announced that a sum of £15 million would be held back when allocations for individual authorities were calculated to be targeted on policy priorities including poverty.

Student Finance

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish students currently pay full tuition fees and how many students it is estimated would pay the full contribution under the Scottish Graduate Endowment scheme proposed by the Independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance, with in each case the number of students listed both in numeric terms and as a proportion of the total number of Scottish students.

Henry McLeish: There were over 107,000 students funded through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland in 1998-99. Of these, 8,071 or 7.5% were assessed to pay the full fee (the system is currently in a transition period). The independent Committee of Inquiry into Student Finance has recommended a contribution from all graduates under its Scottish Graduate Endowment scheme. It will not therefore be paid by students. In 1997-98 there were 25,496 first degree graduates from Scottish institutions. However, some of them will come from elsewhere in the UK and would not be covered by the Committee's proposed scheme.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has or action it has taken or proposes to take to ensure that there is a rail halt at Abbeyhill for the Parliament at Holyrood.

Sarah Boyack: I understand that last year Railtrack, ScotRail and the City of Edinburgh Council explored the potential for a station at Abbeyhill as part of the CrossRail proposal, but that the idea was abandoned at the pre-feasibility stage as estimated costs were deemed prohibitive.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail what action it has taken to support, promote and fund a Glasgow CrossRail or Cross Link.

Sarah Boyack: I understand that Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive has commenced investigation into the economic viability of a Glasgow Cross Link but has not yet commissioned a formal study. The Glasgow CrossRail project was abandoned at the feasibility stage as the estimated costs were deemed prohibitive.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has collated about the condition of bridges on non-trunk roads; whether it intends to ensure that grant-aided expenditure allocations to local authorities provide them with sufficient resources to bring these bridges up to the required standard, and when it expects that the programme of bridge upgrading will be completed.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive receives the results of surveys conducted by the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (which represents the 32 local authorities) of Councils’ bridge assessment and strengthening programmes.

  Grant-aided expenditure allocated to local authorities is not (specifically) hypothecated for upgrading bridges. The single allocation to local authorities by the Scottish Executive for capital expenditure covers all non-housing capital programmes including expenditure on roads and transport. It is for local authorities to prioritise upgrading of bridges and allocate the necessary funding from the resources available to them. The Scottish Executive is therefore not in a position to estimate when this work will be complete.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2810 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 25 November 1999, whether it will allow Scottish Enterprise to contribute directly from its own annual budget to a procurement and funding process developed by City of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire Councils.

Sarah Boyack: Detailed consideration of this project would, in the first instance, be a matter for Scottish Enterprise and the local enterprise companies. If Scottish Enterprise decided to contribute to the M74 project at a level above their delegated authority, the proposal would come to the Scottish Executive for approval.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to assess the residual life of non-trunk road surfaces in Scotland and to ensure that grant-aided expenditure allocations to local authorities resource them adequately to maintain that part of the roads network which is their responsibility.

Sarah Boyack: The assessment, maintenance and improvement of such road surfaces is entirely a matter for the councils as local roads authorities. The total of grant-aided expenditure which the Scottish Executive allocated to local authorities in 1999-2000 allowed for a real terms increase in expenditure. It is for the councils to determine their priorities and allocate resources for road maintenance accordingly.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publicise the targets for road traffic reductions identified by each local authority in their interim Road Traffic Reduction Act reports; whether it has accepted these targets, and what action it will take in the event that it does not accept the local authority targets.

Sarah Boyack: Local authorities were invited to submit interim Local Transport Strategies and Road Traffic Reduction Reports in July 1999. Not all local authorities chose to submit an interim report on road traffic reduction, since the provisions of the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997 have still to be commenced in Scotland and there was therefore no statutory requirement for them to do so. Given the interim nature of these reports, I do not consider it appropriate to make any estimates public at this stage.

  Revised guidance on full Local Transport Strategies and Road Traffic Reduction Reports will be issued in early 2000. This will incorporate our comments on how local authorities can assess existing levels of traffic on their roads, forecast expected growth in these levels and set targets for reducing levels of local road traffic. The revised guidance will be accompanied by an audit report, commenting on the content of the interim Strategies and Road Traffic Reduction Reports. I will place a copy of both documents in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport and the Environment’s statement on the Strategic Roads Review, when it will make an announcement of further corridor studies, and whether the announcement and implementation of such studies will be accelerated in the light of the Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions’ decision to accelerate parallel studies in England and Wales.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive’s proposals for corridor studies were set out in the Report of the Strategic Roads Review published on 4 November. These studies will be set in hand as soon as practicable.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was invited to participate in the "Road Summit" held by the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions on 29 November 1999, or whether it has been briefed subsequently on his proposals to accelerate major road projects in England and Wales.

Sarah Boyack: The "Road Summit" dealt with issues mainly relating to England and invitations were extended to those for whom this was directly relevant. Roads in Scotland are devolved and decisions on projects, timing of investment and the allocation of resources are for the Scottish Executive.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether work on the M77 (Malletsheugh to Fenwick) will be allowed to commence prior to the resolution of all outstanding issues surrounding the Glasgow South Orbital Road and, if not, why this decision has been made and what the implications for the proposed M77 Extension of the Glasgow South Orbital Road not proceeding would be.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive officials have already met officials of East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire Councils, the promoters of the Glasgow Southern Orbital (GSO), to discuss co-ordination of the M77 (Malletsheugh to Fenwick) and the GSO. One key objective will be to ensure a safe linkage between the two new roads. On the timing of the M77 project, I refer Mr Tosh to the answer I gave to question S1W-2394 on 22 November.